BTVS: Untitled Story
by Tharpdevenport
Summary: Multiple murders befall Sunnydale. Set in Season 3. Contains some violence & graphic writing. Has one continuity error at the end, but if you don't know, or pretend, it shouldn't matter.
1. Default Chapter

A man runs through a cemetery. Running scared, looking back repeatedly and frightened.  
  
The footsteps racing at him excelorate and the person giving chase jumps and lands atop the terrified midnight runner.  
  
The runner fell forward, landing on his knees which buckled causing him to smack upon the ground.  
  
Quickly, but unsteadily the man moved his arms forward in an attempt to crawl away on his stomach.  
  
He feels his ankles seized firmly and his entire body slide across the ground backwards  
  
"Face me!" he hears his attacker call out, "so that you might look upon the face of your deliverance."  
  
He tries to crawl away again. He is grabbed by his right arm and is forced over onto his back.  
  
Before his vision can clear the tears and adjust to the moonlight above the attacker's head, he is splashed in the face by water. He rubs his eyes, but the dirt on his skin gets into them. He winces in pain.  
  
"You must be clean for your journey. Now, to ask again would be sin ... look upon me!" thunder rumbles in the distance, "I am your deliverance."  
  
"Don't kill me, I have cash. Take what you wish. Don't harm me!" the man pleas. His eyes start to clear up and the tears on them create a glare in the light. Moon rays appear to shine down and the reflections of which catch a sharp edged butcher knife. "No!"  
  
"Think of this not as death, but deliverance. A crossing into another state of being," he takes hold of the scared man's right arm and uses it to wipe the man's forehead. "As I am becoming, you are transcending in it's honor, so that I might be."  
  
"I'll beg," the runner cries, "I'll beg."  
  
"Witness herein, glory of this act. Rest in peace knowing of the giving you have so selflessly bestowed upon thee. Shine in post-reverence of my forth coming change. Let thy dagger by my transgressor," and holding the man's arm up still, he slowly runs the man through.  
  
The now mortally wounded man clutches the attackers hand in pain. His fingers turn red and his breaths become erratic. His chest spasms.  
  
"Yes, hold tight. Fear not. It shall pass."  
  
With the dagger he paints a symbol on the now lifeless body of the man's head.  
  
"And so your journey takes place. Move..." he stops. His listens again. He hears noises. Slowly he walks bent over through the tombstones to the disturbance. He had dressed in all gray and blended quite nicely.  
  
He watches a young lady in her teenage years, sprawling with an older teenage male. He sits wide eyed and transfixed on the action. The girl finally jabs the man with a long pointed wooden stake through his heart. The man bursts into a haze of dirt; his skeleton disintegrating and vaporizing as well to the ground.  
  
"The Slayer of vamprys..." he comments in a low breath. His pupils dilate and he reaches into a pocket. Out of it he pulls an old, stained rag. He wipes off the blood from both sides of the dagger carefully. Afterward inspecting the blade at angles.  
  
Buffy turns around and fails to see him ducted behind a tombstone. She looks around for something and she has dropped. Her back to him, he approaches unheard. She bends over and he prepares to thrust the dagger into her back when a gurgled monstrous bellow sounds and a monster knocks her over.  
  
He falls back among the shadows of the tombs.  
  
She hits the ground on her side and rolls a couple times.  
  
The demon is off white and has no pupils. At first glance it's body appears wet. She gets up to fight and hears the sound of dead leaves moving on her side. She looks. Leaves are stuck to her arm and will not shake off.  
  
"Ah, dang - and I had just bathed too. Don't you know you shouldn't hit a person who isn't facing you. It's called a fair fight and I don't suppose they have those where you are from," she looks at his face, "or eyes either. Eww."  
  
It takes a swing at her. She lowers her head and gives him a swift uppercut. She draws her right hand back, stretching slime off the monster's body. IT was not wet, but rather oozing with slime as she had found out first hand. Like hot cheese from a lifted slice of pizza, it stretched from his chest to her hand. Slightly warm and looking like Jell-O.  
  
"Yuck! Seriously, proper bodily hygiene, it's something you might want to look into. So I take it this means you don't go puff huh?"  
  
It lets out another gargled roar and a liquid runs from it's mouth. She goes on the defensive with one clear goal - no contact with the big slimy demon. She ducts, jumps and does what she can not to come in contact with it.  
  
"Come on, we don't have to fight. There's already too much violence in the world," she jumps back, "what do you say? Well go our separate ways. I'll go back to slaying and you back to making things really disgusting and hamper worthy. I'd ask you to shake on it, but I'll just take your word for it this time. Deal?"  
  
It sucks up some air and Buffy turns around in anticipation of it throwing up on her. It spits in a stream toward her back a clear liquid. She hears burning like noises and rips the jacket off. She sees the substance eat through it like acid and drops it to the ground.  
  
"Darn, it was leather too. Cheap knockoff leather, but still that cool leather look."  
  
She pulls out a stake and runs him through the chest. She pulls it out. The slimy demon looks down and back at her.  
  
She looks up at him with a cute, innocent smile, "Just checking," It seeps another type of liquid from the wound, "wait a second - but you don't have any..."  
  
It comes at her. She kicks it back and the slime sticks to her shoe soles, causing a lag that sends her to her back when the demon stumbles backwards.  
  
The slime strings thin and breaks and her leg falls down as well.  
  
It inhales again and before it can shoot the liquid acid, she sits up and slashes the mid section of the demon. Slimy strings snap off the stake. Loose ends hang from it and dangle from movement.  
  
The demon staggers back. It looses balance and it's arms flailing about cause the slashed open belly wound to continue to tear until the demon's top half falls to the back. The last slimy skin section catches it and finally rips sending it head first to the ground. It falls on it's face and the lower half falls over on top.  
  
The man behind the tombstone eyes watch, unblinking. He moves away slowly. The shadow from the tombstone covers the moonlight as he eases back.  
  
"Well, I can't leave you here. You know what, you've been very inconveniencing tonight," says Buffy to the dead demon.  
  
She walks around it, trying to deduce how to go about hauling the gak corpse off. She eventually decides it is too much for her to easily haul off and that she needed a cover so as to not be seen by the townsfolk. She looks at her wrist watch.  
  
"Ah..." the glass face is smashed in and the watch has stopped, "It's not like I didn't know this would happen. It's your fault mister slimy. I want monetary compensation," and with that she kicks the demon. she trails her foot back, pulling slime like gum. She gives a little perturbed huff and then realizes she is carrying her beeper this time. She reads the time.  
  
  
  
Slowly entering into Giles' room a casting shadow looms, making no sound. The lights are off and a lavender scented candle is lite. The room felt and looked old with a musty airy taste. It also smelt like books despite the candles. The chiming bells of a grandfather clock downstairs sounded four times.  
  
A shadow cast over Giles. He breaths in deep and quickly awakens.  
  
"Buffy, is that you?"  
  
"In the flesh," she replies.  
  
"Please ... please don't mention flesh in a lavender scented room. Is there something wrong, it's," squints his eyes to read his alarm clock, then stops, "what are you doing in my room?" he reaches for his glasses on the bed adjacent night stand. He uses a cloth to wipe away the dust.  
  
"I knocked on your door several times, but no answer. So I decided to come in and wake you. Sorry."  
  
"How did you get in?" he puts his glasses on.  
  
"You left a window open. Downstairs in the den. Which isn't a bright thing to do. There's all kinds of creatures of the darkness out there. Including slimy ones," she sticks her bottom lip out.  
  
"Ah, yes, I burnt my tuna castlerool and had to air out ... why are you here again?"  
  
"I need help moving a demon. I'd do it myself, but there are two halves and a few people are getting up for work."  
  
He looks off to the side and comments, "How I envy them," he looks back at her, "two halves? This wouldn't have anything to do with the aforementioned slimy creature of the darkness?"  
  
"Boy you're awful sharp so early. So, let's go. We need to hurry up before someone finds the body ... bodies..." she pounders the appropriate choice of words. She grabs his right hand, "Come on," in an energetic voice.  
  
He wriggles free, "Buffy please, I am in my undergarments. Just give me a moment to properly cloth myself."  
  
"Don't say undergarments in a lavender filled room," Buffy retorts. She stands there.  
  
"A little privacy if you don't mind," says Giles.  
  
She turns around.  
  
"While the gesture is appreciated, I'm not coming out from this blanket till you are gone from sight."  
  
"Leave the room huh?"  
  
"It would be nice."  
  
"Sorry," she walks out, "you've probably got long old man underwear on," she closes his door.  
  
"Super thermal B long underwear," he comments to himself.  
  
"What?" she calls out from the hall.  
  
They are driving in his old beat up car through the dark streets of Sunnydale  
  
"Sorry I had to wake you. I didn't want to get slimy demon in Xander's care. People will notice that."  
  
"It's quite allright. I've come to accept that I'll never sleep normally ever again," he sighs, "never again ... besides, I do have that plastic trunk lining. You did right in awakening me."  
  
"Where does one buy plastic trunk lining anyway? Watcher's Mail Order Catalog?"  
  
He look at her, "don't ask."  
  
Police lights and a quick sound off of a siren break their conversation.  
  
"What did I do, I ..." he looks at the speedometer, "oh deer. Did you catch the speed marker?"  
  
"Don't look at me, you're supposed to be the driver. I think we better stop ... in the name of love."  
  
"Somehow I knew you were going to do that."  
  
He slowly pulls off to the side and stops. The cop car pulls up behind him and the officer shines a high powered light mounted on his rearview mirror on them.  
  
"If you would be so kind and look in the glove compartment for my registration and please ... try to act normal. Smile, be enchanting and act like we don't kill things everyday. And what ever you do, please don't mention the trunk," Giles worries.  
  
The police officer steps out from his vehicle and approaches their driver side window. He's young, in his early twenties.  
  
"Good evening officer. Is there something wrong?" asks Giles.  
  
The officer looks down at him. He places his left hand on the top of the car. He speaks in a light southern voice.  
  
I pulled you over for speeding. Do you realize you were going 45 in a 35 zone?"  
  
"No, I honestly didn't. I apologize."  
  
"I thank you for the honesty sir. Can I see your license and registration please?"  
  
"My license is in my wallet, one moment if you will," Giles tries to dig his wallet from his pants.  
  
"Can I ask what you two are doing out at this time?"  
  
"We're heading for the ..." he fumbles in thought.  
  
Buffy immediately jumps in, "the cemetery."  
  
"Cemetery?" inquires the officer.  
  
"Yes," he hands the cop his license, "the Hathaway Cemetery."  
  
The officer looks at Buffy suspiciously, "and, ah, who is your passenger?"  
  
"Hi, I'm Buffy Summers," she extends her hand out in front of Giles. He backs up into the seat.  
  
"No, that's okay miss, I don't want to shake your hand. Can I ask why you and miss Summers here are going to a cemetery in the predawn hours?"  
  
Giles lowers his head and in painful recollection he responds, "I'm the Sunnydale High School Librarian. We are going to honor our late friend and colleague Jenny Calander; who died almost a year ago."  
  
"I have school in the morning, of course, so we are going a bit early," Buffy adds.  
  
"That's very descent of you all. Just you two?"  
  
"So far. I called a friend. She might join us," answers Buffy.  
  
"Well folks, everything seems to be in order here. I'm going to let you off the hook this time, but that's because of your circumstances. Be careful and obey the posted limits. Remember, it's 35 for a reason. You two have a good night," he hands Giles his stuff.  
  
"Thank you officer, we appreciate that."  
  
The cop gives a quick half salute wave to acknowledge him and continues back to his cruiser.  
  
Buffy turns around form watching the officer, "he wouldn't shake my hand. I don't like him."  
  
"Yes, well, perhaps that is because he is an authority figure. And why did you tell him where we were really going?"  
  
"He's a police officer. What did you want me to do? Lie?"  
  
"Yes! Something, anything besides that truth," exclaims Giles, "just this once though, you know you should never lie to an authority figure."  
  
He starts the car.  
  
"I understand. Sorry. Boy, I've really had to say a lot of these tonight. I should buy them in bulk."  
  
"Yes," Giles puts it into drive and looks around, "you never shook my hand," and drives off.  
  
The car slowly drives into the cemetery on the automobile access pathway. Giles kills the lights to try to lower any unsought attention.  
  
"There! I came out between McCoullin and Smithson. Right there, stop!" she turns a bit and grabs the door handle. Giles grabs her left arm tightly.  
  
"What?" she asks.  
  
"Shhh ..... look up ahead ... to the left."  
  
She looks out into the night. A police car is parked halfway on the road and the grass. It is completely off. Just then she catches a glimpse of the beam of a flashlight.  
  
"I thought you said it was right here," says Giles.  
  
"I'm sure, one-hundred percent. McCoullin and Smithson. Giles, that light is getting closer."  
  
He starts the car and puts it in reverse. He takes his foot off the brake to keep the brake lights from illuminating them.  
  
"Look!" she points. Giles squints to see. Red and blue lights appear over the horizon.  
  
"There is too many. I think it;s best if we leave. Come back in a few hours, the body..."  
  
"Parts," she say.  
  
"The body parts should still be there." 


	2. Chapter 2

Giles scans some book in. He says to the high school boy, "Three day late charges at ten cents a day times two books ... your total comes to sixty cents."  
  
Willow and Xander walk in.  
  
"Sixty cents. The price of one of those soft drinks from the cafeteria beverage dispensers. Perhaps you'll remember to return your rentals on time. Oh, and have a good day," he attempts a smile.  
  
The guy walks out. Xander watches him out as Willow sets up her lunch on the table.  
  
"Alright, tough guy Giles. Book em' danno," says Xander.  
  
"Ah, you're here. Where's Buffy?"  
  
"She had to go to the little Slayer's Room," answers Willow.  
  
Giles looks at her odd.  
  
"Bathroom. she had to go to the bathroom. Oh fuddie duddie," she says.  
  
Xander pats her on her left shoulder and says encouragingly, "Don't worry Will, I still think you're funny."  
  
"Touching," she whispers in a reminding command.  
  
"Sorry," he quickly apologizes.  
  
"Oz should be here in a minute," says Willow to Giles.  
  
"Oz has entered the building," Oz says as he walks pass the now shutting doors to the library.  
  
"And making good time too. Only a few minutes late," replies Willow.  
  
"Four-four time," says Oz. No one says anything, "It's hard to follow an act like Xanders'."  
  
"You heard it?" asks Xander.  
  
"Talking to one of my friends on the chaotic side of the door over there. It's a whole different scholastic universe on the other side."  
  
"Kind of like a bizzarro Sunnydale?"   
  
"No, regular Sunnydale pretty much is bazzarro Sunnydale. I wonder what the Kryptonite would be?" Oz pounders.  
  
"That;s easy," says Xander, "the cafeteria food."  
  
Buffy walks through the double library doors.  
  
"Oh, thank goodness you are here," a relieved Giles exclaims.  
  
"What?" asks Buffy.  
  
"I missed you. Really, really missed you," says Giles.  
  
"Hey Buffy," calls Willow.  
  
"Hey Willow. Hey guys."  
  
Xander and Oz both say hey about the same time.  
  
"Were you guys talking science fiction in front of the librarian again?"  
  
"Louise Lane?" asks quietly to Xander.  
  
"Nah," he smiles and his face brightens up as he looks at Buffy, "Supergirl."  
  
Willow speaks up, "We got you a drink, Oz did anyway."  
  
Oz responds, "They were out of Coke, so I got you Pepsi."  
  
"Pepsi? I didn't even know they had Pepsi machines on campus," comments Xander.  
  
"It was way in the back. Apparently it's supposed to taste good. They got this girl singing and dancing and oscillating her butt. Not sure what that has to do with the taste," replies Oz.  
  
"Maybe it tastes like ass," says Xander.  
  
No one laughs. He looks around at everybody staring at him.  
  
"No one is laughing today. Especially at me. Where has all the laughter gone?"  
  
"Lost it last night. I got to kill a slime monster," says Buffy.  
  
"Details Buffy, details," says Xander.  
  
"Well, it was all oozing and bubble gum on the bottom of your shoe like. On the plus side I cut it in half."  
  
"Ew," the all turn to see Cordillia standing in the double doorway, "I knew there was a reason I was avoiding all you midnight weirdoes. God," she walks out disgusted.  
  
"Can we cut her in half too?" asks Xander.  
  
"Well, this is all fascinating and witty banter, but we are actually all here for a reason this time," says Giles.  
  
"Lunch," Willow comments. Oz Smiles.  
  
"Yes, well, something more than that."  
  
"There;s more?" asks Buffy.  
  
"Unfortunately so. While Buffy and I attempted to retrieve the body parts last night, we encountered two police automobiles. While this hampered our recovery efforts, it did not deteur them. I went back alone. The body had dissolved."  
  
"Did you cover it in salt?" says Xander. "I should stop saying things now."  
  
"Indeed. So, as I was saying, it dissolved. Now, that took care of our disposal concerns, but presents us with a whole batch of problems."  
  
"Fresh from the oven," says Oz.  
  
Giles takes his glasses off and hesitates.  
  
"I saw it on the news this morning. I called Wesley immediately. This may be nothing..."  
  
Concerned, Buffy looks at him with her mouth slightly agape.  
  
"Giles, what is it? Come on, don't hold back," Buffy demands.  
  
"You were in fact patrolling that cemetery the same night it happened."  
  
"What happened?" asks Willow.  
  
"A man was found dead. He had been stabbed once and slowly bleed to death. The police aren't releasing very much information at this point. Buffy, your DNA is all over the place. Your footprints still fresh, hair follicles, drops of blood. I'm afraid we may have to put you in hiding."  
  
"No way," says Buffy.  
  
"Buffy, this is serious. We have to get you out of here," a concerned Xander comments.  
  
"I have to stay here and stop the Ascension."  
  
"I think I'm going to have to go with Xander on this," Oz mouths that back to himself silently, "yeah..."  
  
"Giles, any chance this could have been Faith?"  
  
"Well, there's no way to know for sure without asking her directly. So far all of her killings have been purposeful. This one seems to be without reason. It may, or may not be."  
  
"Still, we should check right?" says Willow.  
  
"How?" asks Xander.  
  
"I don't know. I was just saying."  
  
"It wasn't me, but I thank everyone for their concern..." Oz looks at everyone. Willow puts an arm around Oz.  
  
"Giles, I'm not leaving."  
  
"And we may not have to. These are only suggestions. there is always a chance this could blow over. The law is involved, we should at least use caution."  
  
"Well, at least the demon body dissolved. That's one less thing we'll have to worry about."  
  
The Mayor picks up his office phone. Faith quiets down. In a perky tone he answers, "Hello, this is Mayor Wilkens Officer, Mayor Wilkens speaking."  
  
"Mister Mayor, this is Snyder. I have some information you might find interesting."  
  
"You do," he looks at Faith, "let me put you on speaker phone. I just have loads of paper work and need my hands free. Oh please, go on."  
  
"Just a hour ago there was a fight in the high school cafeteria. Couple little punks knocked each other up pretty good."  
  
"And how is this information interesting again?" asks the Mayor.  
  
"Well, I had to call the police. When he arrived, I noticed who it was. To my surprise I saw Charles Kamen."  
  
"Ah yes, Kamen. He did some work for me a ... a year ago I believe. He was a perfect gentlemen. Fine outstanding officer. I think he transferred to Los Angeles."  
  
"He did. But he moved back to Sunnydale a few months ago. who can blame him? L.A. is the pot smoking capital of the world. A bunch of pathetic junkies. Anyway, he had some interesting thing tidbits ... another officer at the Hathaway Cemetery made some discoveries. A weird monster body as he described it. It was gooey and melted. Just melted. All gone. And Kamen pulled over out school librarian, who was coinscidently on his was to that cemetery."  
  
"Well, that's not too unusual. A faculty member died there last year," says the Mayor.  
  
"That's what Kamen said he said. Jenny Calander. But he had Buffy Summers with him."  
  
The Mayor's smile turns into a frown. "Gosh, as much as I'd like to think some kids will bloom and become great thinkers, or artists, some are never more than just plain trouble makers."  
  
"Mister Mayor, that's only half of it - a man was found stabbed to death."  
  
"Did you say stabbed?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Hold on a second," he presses down the mute button. "Faithy, you haven't been going around stabbing people have you?"  
  
"No way. You know I'd ask you first. Besides, I don't even have a blade."  
  
"You don't ... hummm ... you sure?" he asks again.  
  
"One-hundred-ten sure boss," answers Faith.  
  
Okay, that's a good girl. You know it leaves daddy with an awful big mess to clean up," he releases the mute button, "Snyder."  
  
"Yes sir," Snyder says a bit nervous. Wondering what the Mayor had been saying.  
  
"Do they have any suspects?"  
  
"Not yet, but they think it could be a ritualistic cult. His own blood was used to paint a symbol on his head. Ah, what the hell is wrong with people these days? I swear."  
  
"Could you please reframe from swearing. It's a nasty thing to do. Would that be it?" asks the Mayor.  
  
"Sorry sir. That's it for now. Officer Kamen said he'll be in contact as soon as the investigation gives him a minute."  
  
"I appreciate your call Snyder. It was very thoughtful."  
  
"You're welcome sir. And ... you'll make sure I get what is coming to me?" he hints.  
  
The Mayor grins really big and replies, "I wouldn't have it any other way. Good-bye now," he hangs up. "It could be nothing. We are on the Hell Mouth. Cults and killings aren't that strange an occurrence ... but still, with Mr. Trick's passing, may he rest in peace, I could really use you as my eyes and ears."  
  
"No problemo boss. I got your back," says Faith.  
  
"That's what I like to hear. I swell up with such pride to see someone so young like you, so full of ambition. You can do what ever you set your heart to."  
  
"So what do I do now boss?"  
  
"Get dressed. Put on something nice. Bright, vibrant colors preferably."  
  
"Where we heading? Police HQ, graveyard?"  
  
"Ah," he waves off, "don't be so silly. Dairy Queen."  
  
She smiles and looks at him.  
  
"Well, go on, scoot. Skiddadle you little rascal." 


	3. Chapter 3

Buffy enters the Hathaway Cemetery quietly. She makes her way to where the demon's body had been. Without loud sound she makes her way through the plots.  
  
Someone rises from behind a rather large tombstone and lunges at her.  
  
"Agh!!!" snarls a vampire.  
  
"Not now," she says and covers it's mouth and stakes it in the blink of an eye. It explodes unable to yell.  
  
She finally arrives at the spot. It is roped off with yellow police line. She examines the ground. The body was completely gone and the grass beneath where it had been, dead.  
  
"That's it? No more? It took me almost an hour to get you off my shoes and two wash cycles and bottled laundry cleanser to expel you from my jacket. I really wish you had just gone poof."  
  
Her attitude becomes serious when she notices that her footprints were still there. They had been purposefully stepped around and avoided. That left her uneasy. She made her way to where the man had been killed. It too had been roped off.  
  
Unknown to Buffy, the victim had dragged himself to a tombstone and attempted to lift himself up. Spots of dry blood on the ground from an inch, or so from the stone and bloody smear marks where his hand touched it and wiped down when he lost his grip were visible.  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks. It had sprinkled a bit and the topsoil had become wet. Fresh footprints had been made. Quickly she realized that they looked exactly like her own that were at the demon's surrounding death spot. Someone was attempting to frame her for murder. At a fast pace she swiped the prints with her shoes.  
  
"Dang," she says in frustration. It had totally skipped her mind that she was again leaving prints. She went in a circle around the spot, walking back and backwards and swiping her feet side to side to cover her tracks. As she left the spot she realized her tracks were at the demon's spot as well.  
  
Trying her own patience, she backed up to it as well. Looking behind her periodically to make sure she got them as she was going. Eventually she makes her way back to the spot she had entered the graveyard from.  
  
The attacker from the previous night put a wine glass down. He had a girl with him. She is dazed and out of it.  
  
"I ... I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel so ... so light headed suddenly," she says.  
  
He moves in closer and knells on the ground in front of her.  
  
"You've been drugged. You will feel somewhat dizzy and natious. But don't worry, it shall pass my child."  
  
"Don't..." she says, to out of it to resist  
  
Faith walked through the Hathaway Cemetery as well. Not patrolling, but rather killing time she might say.  
  
"Damn B, really offed all the vamps," she said aloud.  
  
She walked around for a few minutes before her ears caught the sound of a female struggling.  
  
"Now that's what I'm talking about," she races toward the sound until she finds it. A man hovering over a female with a knife. The girl drops the champagne glass and it shatters into good sized chunks upon a ground top tomb marker.  
  
The man is dressed in gray, with a black jacket and black hair to match. He stops and turns his head to face Faith.  
  
Hey big fella, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" says Faith. She stands at the ready with her fists up.  
  
"I would be more than grateful for the opportunity. If you would my child, please hold on," he holds the dagger out and with that, jams it into his victims chest. At the same time leaning over and whispering something into her ear it seemed to Faith.  
  
"No!" she exclaims. As if this had caught her by surprise.  
  
The attacker uses his second finger to hastily draw a symbol on the girl's head.  
  
"You like beating on helpless girls huh, why don't you come and give me a try."  
  
He lunges at her without coming to a full standing position. She stumbles back impact and he lunges at her again. She gives him a side kick and he falls back and hits the ground.  
  
"They've never fought back huh? What's a matter, do I fight like a girl?" she taunts.  
  
He clutches a fist full of dirt and flings it into Faith's eyes.  
  
"You son of a bitch," she winces her eyes. She puts her hands into fists from the pain, tightly. Her fingers start to turn red. She remembers the attacker's wine glass was off to the side of the tombstone. She bends down and slowly feels her way to the tomb and moves her hands around carefully to make sure she doesn't spill it. She finally locates it. She tilts her head up slightly and conservidly pours it in her eyes, blinking fast and occasionally lowering her head to do the same. She gets most out anbd drinks the rest. She wipes her lips with a sleeve.  
  
"Hey, you all right babe?" she asks the victim.  
  
The girl begins to convulse. Faith gets on her haunches and inspects the girl's wound.  
  
"I'm cold."  
  
"This may hurt a little," Faith grabs the knife. The girl cries out in pain. Faith draws back and then tries again.  
  
"I'm gonna do it fast. Like a bandaide, okay G?"  
  
She pulls the knife out fast. The girl screams. Faith looks at her, with the knife still drawn back; clutched in her hand beside her head. She jolts her head to the left, startled upon hearing a noise.  
  
There stands Buffy in disbelief.  
  
"You couldn't help yourself. Could you?"  
  
"Nah B, it's not what it looks like. There was this guy," says Faith.  
  
"Get up," demands Buffy, "you had to kill someone else didn't you? What was it this time? Does it excite you? Does it arouse you in some perverse way?"  
  
"Whoa, I think someone needs some serious chill time. Your face is turning all red and you chest is heaving. I'm not jiving you B, there was this guy. Besides, I only kill for my boss man now."  
  
"What? The Mayor? He's a sadistic madman. The worse kind. He draws in innocent beings and sends other's to do his bidding."  
  
"Don't you be dissing him. He's more of a father then your dad will ever be."  
  
Buffy closes her mouth and tilts her heads to a side and hatred forms in her eyes.  
  
"I think we need to fight now," she says.  
  
"Hey, I'm good to go if you are," she backs off, "another time B."  
  
Buffy hears a police siren when she looks back she sees Faith already running and a good distance away.  
  
"Yes, another time."  
  
She decides to make haste from the graveyard, worried that she now didn't have the time to cover her tracks around the second victim. She dashes off into the night, unable to amend the problem. 


	4. Chapter 4

Buffy rubs her eyes as she heads downstairs. Her mom is watching television.  
  
"hey," says Buffy.  
  
"hey sleepy head. Good morning."  
  
"ga," she attempts to speak, "what time is it?"  
  
"8:30."  
  
"You didn't tell me the power went out. Don't let me forget to reset it."  
  
"You came home after I went to bed. Buffy, you weren't at the hataway Cemetery last night were you?"  
  
Buffy freezes in her tracks, "Why?"  
  
"some people were killed. Shhh, here it is," Joyce points the television remote and highers the volume.  
  
The news anchor begins...  
  
"Good morning, I'm Randy Anderson and this is the 8:30 news. We begin with our top story this morning. another body was found in the Hathaway Cemetery last night. Officer Charles Kamen made the grusome discovery in the early morning hours after an annonymous phone tip. It's the second body in two nights at this particular cemetery. Police have identified the victim as twenty-four year old Sunnydale resident Katheryn Graham. Police suspect it to be the same person who killed Franklin Dunn the previous night. We interviewed officer Kamn an hour ago and here is what he has to say:  
  
"I found the body laying up against a plot marker. It was about 3:30. The victim was dead upon my arrival. Victim was still warm to the touch, so I attempted to ressussitate her, to no avail. She had one stab wound tp her chest. so, I believe the cause of death is pretty obvious. We found three sets of shoeprints. one female, one male and the other was unidentifiable. this could be some sort of cult, or group killing. There's a real sick person out there. Travel in groups and avoid going out at night alone."  
  
The Hathaway Cemetery is closed pending further investigatioin. Kamen also added thta at this time they have no suspects. If you have any information reguarding this, you are incouraged to call the Sunnydale Police department at the number on the bottom of the screen. they ask that we iterate that you can remain annonymous. Our heart-felt condolences go out to the Dunn and Graham families.  
  
In other news..."  
  
"It's just, it's just unbelievable that s0meone could do that to another human being. Don't they have any remorse? Buffy, do you have any idea who did it?"  
  
"Not yet, but I'm working on it," she answers.  
  
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"  
  
"Mom, it's Saturday. You sure your power didn't go out," Buffy teases.with a smile.  
  
"Oh, that's right. I don't know what I was thinking."  
  
"That's okay, I forgive you. you were having a grown-up moment."  
  
Joyce turnbs to face Buffy heading to the front door, "Very funny. Where are you heading so early in the morning?"  
  
"I'm gonna meet Giles at the library."  
  
"On a Saturday?"  
  
"Being a slayer means sometimes having to work weekends. Willow and Xander might join me. I'll see you later."  
  
"Bye. Say hi to Willow and Xander for me."  
  
Xander stops at a red light. Buffy looks at the steering wheel.  
  
"I don't suppose I could drive?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Pretty please," she persuades with a cute voice.  
  
"Hummm, let me think - no."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I heard about your little SUV escapade last year. Hot ah, no way. you know I love you Buff, but the Xandermobile is off limits."  
  
"Technically it was six months ago and in my defense, Snyder was in the back seat and he was really, really annoying. I'd be hell on wheels. I could RUN the vampires over!" she turns to Xander with an excited look on her face. Xander looks at her with an eye brow raised. "Or I could NOT do that," gives a little michivous grin.  
  
Xander stoips his car in front of Willo's house. Willow comes running from the steps. she has on a red, short sleeved shirt amd blue jean overalls. she is also carrying a few books. she opens the back door.  
  
"Hey, how come you get the front?" she asks Buffy.  
  
"I'm the Slayer."  
  
"Point taken," she closes the door.  
  
"Willow, what's up with all the school books?" asks Xander. He pulls back into the street.  
  
"I thought we could study. got some History to catch up on."  
  
"Study? Willow, it's a weekend. It's that special time of the week where we don't have to think about school."  
  
"We don't necessarily have to think of school. Just think of it as your undying thirst for knowledge," retorts Willow.  
  
"I don't want to study, I want to save the world. It';s too early in the morning to think. My brain doesn't function properly till after noon."  
  
They come up to Sunnydale High. He parks in a teacher's spot.  
  
"I've always wanted to do that."  
  
They enter the school and head for the library. A few stray teachers and students working on after school projects were about. And a couple of janitors.  
  
"Oz!" Willow calls out upon opening the double library doors. she runs over and huges him. Xander looks to the side.  
  
"I missed you too. It's been almost ... a day," says Oz.  
  
"I didn't think you'd be hear," says a still exstatic Willow.  
  
"My drummer called in sick last night, so I had no plans for today."  
  
"Glad you could join us," says Giles.  
  
"Same here buddy," says Xander.  
  
"Now Buffy, what did you find last night?" asks Giles.  
  
Wesley clears his throat.  
  
"Oh bloody hell, have at it," Giles speaks in a low tone as he passes Pryce, "you really are a bit of apretentious fop aren't you?"  
  
Wesley claps his hands together and smiles a cocky, self assured smile. "Now ... Buffy, what did you find last night?"  
  
"Well," she begins. she looks at Giles, "Faith was there. she was holding a knife. It was covered in blood, but she claimed there had been a man there."  
  
Wesley moves into Buffy's line-of-sight and sticks his hand up with the second fingeronly pointing up.  
  
"So, do you think Faith could have done that?" Giles walks around the talbe.  
  
"I don't know," she follows him with her head. Wesley waves his arms up and down in a friutless attempt to focus her attention apon him.  
  
"See, she's evil. So there," says Willow in a 'I told you so' tone.  
  
"Hello, over here. I banged evil," says Xander aloud without thought of his choice of words.  
  
"I'm still sleeping right?" says Oz.  
  
"At the time I thought I caught her in the act, but now that I am thinking back, I'm not sure. but there was something else. someone copied my footprints and put them all around the first victim's site. Giles, someone's trying to frame me for murder."  
  
Giles takes a stern and very serious manner, "Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive. but I..." Wesley cuts her off in mid speech.  
  
"Now wait a minute! Frame you for murder?! Buffy, this is an extremely grave and urgant matter. how do you plan to rectify this?" an irate Wesley exclaims.  
  
"Did he say rectal?" Xander leans in and asks Oz.  
  
"No, rectify," Oz replies.  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"The letter "A" and a couple other letters."  
  
"What happened to the other two letters then?"  
  
Oz whispers without even cracking a smile, "Character assassination."  
  
Willow shushes them.  
  
"We need to know what the police have, but I'm not quite sure how to do, so..." she trails off in hopes someone will finish her thought.  
  
"I cna do," says Willow. they all look at her, she continues, "I can hack into the database. I'll print a copy out."  
  
"No!!! Absolutely not! Breaking into a police head quarters mainframe? That might be a federal offense. I cannot allow you to do that. I'm putting my foot down," he lifts his chin and stands firm.  
  
Bufy stands up and looks at him with impatience.  
  
"Figuritively speaking ... please don't step on my foot," Wesley cowers.  
  
"Wesley, unless you have a better idea..." says Buffy.  
  
"Ah, well..." he trails off.  
  
"Willow, go ahead."  
  
"I didn't bring my lap top with me."  
  
"That's all right. Do it when you get home. Giles, any luck identifying the swamp thing?" asks Buffy.  
  
"Wesley and I have been scouring the books using the description you gave me, but thus far we haven't found anything matching it. We'll keep trying though."  
  
"Good. Thgat thing attacked me when I came near the first victim Thursday night. It might not be a coinscidence. Oz, you wanna come with us tonight?"  
  
"No ploblem. Nighthawk, coming with us?"  
  
"Nighthawk?" inquires Wesley.  
  
Xander elbows Oz, "Shhh!"  
  
Faith lays on her large plush bed reading a magazine. A knock comes to her door. she jumps up, tossing the magazine and races to open the door.  
  
"Hey you!"  
  
"Ahhh and how's my little darling doing?" asks Wilkins. He gives her a quick huge and kisses her on her forehead.  
  
"5 by 5. Wht';s in the bag boss?" she asks.  
  
"Faith, your like family to me. Call me daddy."  
  
She smiles really big showing her teeth. Itchy with anticipation she bounces a bit.  
  
"I don't know about that daddy thing. how about just dad.?"  
  
"Daddy's so much cuter," he raises his arms up and out in persuation with a smile, "dad's alright by me. I brought you something."  
  
"What? Dont' make me guess, I hate guessing."  
  
"Jiffy Pop! It's as fun to makew as it is to eat!" he exclaims.  
  
Faith laughs as she closes the door behind him.  
  
"Check this out - I saw the iller last night. You want me to kill him, dad?"  
  
"Faith, honey, this is strictly a pleasure visit. I was hoping we could have fun. If I really was only interested in your services, I would have called you instead. Let's save all that nasty killing stuff for the office shall we? Besides, I don't want you going out and killing everyone. What if he's not the killer, but rather a registered voter? I mean, if heaven forbid the Ascension doesn't go as planned, gosh darnit, next year is a re-election year and every single vote counts," he walks over to the stove.  
  
"Microwaves over to your left," says Faith.  
  
"Oh, sweetie no, the Jiffy Pop handles are metal. You'll destroy the microwave. besides, it takes all the fun out of the Jiffy Pop experince."  
  
"You are the bomb D."  
  
He heats up the stove, "Bomb? Is that a good thing? Honestly, these kids nowadays have the strangest insults. Back in my day they were simple. Polly Woggle, Tally Whack, Yankie."  
  
He hovers his hand over the stove top to feel the temperature. his hand catches fire. He moves it away and examies the melted flesh. It slowly heals and all traces vanish.  
  
"You know I have always wondered what that felt like," The Mayor says.  
  
"How did it feel?" asks Faith.  
  
"Hot."  
  
"How old are you anyway? If you don't minjd me asking?"  
  
"Gosh, let's just say I've already celebrated my centennial. My how the decades pass. Nack in my day you coudln't even buy a coke, candy bar and a movie for fifty cents - The didn't even exist! You ready? Just take your hand and hold the handle. At a nice and steady pace, rotate it over the burner. Trust me."  
  
She does so. A few minutes later it starts popping and the Jiffy Corn Dome starts forming.  
  
"Dad, it's gonna blow. I'm telling you."  
  
Almost unaturally giddy wioth excitement he responds, "Keep going!"  
  
"Top's breaking open! It's gonna explode," she looks away. nothing happens and she looks back. "I thought it would..."  
  
"I know, it's great isn't it? This is what modern technology has brought us. Fantastic if you aks me."  
  
"Can I get yo ua soda?" Faith asks Wilkins.  
  
"You got some fruit juice? I'm watching my caffenice intake."  
  
She pours him a glass of fruit punch and gets hersefl a can of regualr soda. she plops a few ice cubes into the punch and she brisks over to the Mayor.  
  
"Where do you want to sit?" she asks.  
  
"Anywhere! The bed, the floor, the coutch. where ever my little precious wants."  
  
"Alright then ... here!" and they both race each other to sit down on the carpet. Wilkins sets his punch to the side and reaches into his inner lapel of his brown suit. He pulls our a disinfectant wipe and cleans his hands.  
  
"Ummm, sweet, sweet buttery heaven," he remarks as he has some Ultimate Butter Microwave Popcorn.  
  
"You know boss, if some one had told me a year ago that I'd pack up, haul off to some no name town, become a Slayer and play the second in command to the town's wicked cool Mayor, I would have called them crazy," Faith comments while eating popcorn.  
  
"That's one of time's great little foibles - change. Take for instance that just a minute ago there wasn't popcorn being thrown at you," he says.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop..." he says as he throws little pieces at her.  
  
"Oh no you just didn't boss man. I;m gonna pop you," Faith joins in on the fun.  
  
They both toss popcorn at each other. Laughing and having a genuinly good time.  
  
Buffy, Willow and Oz all walk the streets of Sunnydale, making their way toward Hathaway Cemetery.  
  
"Gee, it's awful quiet out here," says Willow.  
  
"I know, this Ascension thing has them clearing out pretty good. It's like there's a Blue Light sale in a L.A. K-Mart, or something," replies Buffy.  
  
"It's like that scene in Men In Black where Zed shows a screen of the U.S. and little tiny lines indicating alien ship evacuating Earth from this giant cockroach in a farmer's bodey," Oz says.  
  
"You don't think the Mayor will turn himself into a giant cockroach do you? What woudl we do?" asks Willow.  
  
"I don't know," he replies, "it's a possibility. We may have to call the Orkin Man."  
  
"Boy Oz, sure gald we brought you along. It's not everday I get to hear about giant roaches," Buffy looks at him.  
  
"Don't worry, we can step on it," he says.  
  
"Step on it?" asks Buffy.  
  
"It's a joke," he replies back.  
  
"I don't get it. I want to get it," says Willow.  
  
"Garry Larson?" he says. They look at him, "no? Never mind."  
  
"Seriously, why don't you come patroling with us more often? I mean, I know we got to lock you in a cage some nights, but still, you should."  
  
"I did for a few months there while you took a Slayer Sabbatical. It was okay. Just thought I'd leave it to the trained patheticals. I'm more of a part time Slayerette. saving the world on occassion."  
  
They all slow down.  
  
"You guys all seeing this?" asks Oz.  
  
"Yeah," says Buffy uneasily.  
  
An ambulance and three squad cars are parked in front of the cemetery.  
  
"You guys stay here, I;m going to go find out what's up," Buffy says as she takes off.  
  
"Be careful Buffy," Willow calls out.  
  
She walks off toward the scene.  
  
"Will you look at that," comments Willow on the spectical.  
  
"I know," Oz looks at the sight sensing danger, "this doesn't look good."  
  
Buffy walks up to an officer who has his back to her and is talking to a witness.  
  
"Excuss me,": she taps him on his left shoulder, "can you tell me what's..."  
  
The officer turns around. It is officer Kamen.  
  
"Hello," says Buffy.  
  
"Miss Summers right? What are you doing out at this hour?"  
  
"Me anbd my friends over there are just going for a walk. What happened here?"  
  
"It's a real shame, another man was killed here. Just recently too. Do you and your friends always go for late night walks?" inquires a suspicious Kamen.  
  
"Technically, it's early morning, but yes. We do this quite often," she rpelies back.  
  
"Looks like you guys were walking straight for here. That's the second time in two nights. It is of my own advisory thgat for yoy and your friends own personal safety, to stay off the streets after midnight. At least until the killer is caught. Now, I can understand you wanting to pay your respects to your late teacher. I can even understand if that's the friend you mentioned the other night and if she didn't show up and you three are now making another trip for Miss Calander, but I dont' want to see you here again. Do you understand me?" he orders her in a commanding voice.  
  
"Yeah," she replies.  
  
"That's yes sir," he corrects her. His southern accent showing.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"You can go about you business. you and your friends be careful. Good night Miss Summers."  
  
She slowly moves off and heads for her friends. Kamen watches her go. He looks down. He sees the footprints she left in the trailing edges of the cemetery dirt. He turns, whistles and signals for someone to come over. A man with a neckstrap comera runs over.  
  
"Buffy, what happened? You look all tense," asks Willow.  
  
"Come on you guys, let's go. Don't look at him."  
  
"I take it somebody else was Ginsued," says Oz.  
  
"That's three people. Something about that cop rubs me the wrong way," Buffy says to Oz and Willow.  
  
"You were returning to the crime scene. he's probably just doing his job."  
  
"I don't know. Let's go home."  
  
"Buffy, what about patroling?" asks Willow with a concerned look in her face. she holds onto Oz's right arm a little tightly.  
  
"It will have to wait. It's not safe out here tonight. We're going to have a meeting tomorrow. You two be at the library. I'll call Xander and make sure he brings Cordillia. If anyone should ask before then, we were going to visit Miss Calander's grave. And Willow, I had called you yesterday about it as well."  
  
"No you didn't ... oh! I see."  
  
"Buffy, you just put him in the cage with me and I'll eat him," comments Oz.  
  
"Thanks for the offer. I'll consider it. Really." 


	5. Chapter 5

Xander enters the library with Cordillia. She is all dressed up; clearly having primped and preened her hair for hours. Xander lightly pushes her back with his hand and she tries to remain steady on her high-heels.  
  
"God, don't you guys have anything else to do than be way super uncool? I hope this doesn't take long. I have to be fashionably late for this party at seven. Sorry you weren't invited. Cool people only."  
  
"Cordillia, shut up. Sit down," Buffy commands.  
  
Cordillia walks by Pryce who has his arms folded. His eyes follow her.  
  
"Hello Wesley."  
  
"Miss chase."  
  
Xander pulls out a chair for Cordillia. She looks at him miffed.  
  
"As if!" she pushes the chair back under and then pulls it out herself.  
  
"Fine then, I'm not gonna argue," he throws his arms up. He sits.  
  
"Last night a third person was stabbed in the Hathaway Place," Buffy begins.  
  
"Are we still counting Faith as a culprit?" asks Giles.  
  
"Nah, Faith's a killer, but not a serial killer. Who ever is doing this, is doing it for pleasure. The police got that place locked up tight now. Who ever, or what ever is killing these people will have to find another one. And I know they'll do it again. They set up a patrol yesterday, yet this guy still went in. Blatant, no respect for authority. Is there any word on swamp thing?"  
  
"Swamp thing?" asks Cordillia.  
  
"This really slimy thing Buffy killed a couple days ago," Xander fills in the blanks.  
  
"Ew, looks like I won't be having the Jell-O tonight," Cordillia says disgusted.  
  
"There's always room for Jell-O," Says Oz.  
  
"As a matter of fact we found some information," Wesley answers Buffy.  
  
"Yes, it's rather vague. The creatures are part of some ritual. The book refers to them as Chamillas. The text said 'Those of clouded eyes' whose skin was like that of tar. There are no pictures to be sure and it doesn't say what the ritual is. It just mentions a 'Profound Change'. We're trying to find more, but we may not have the necessary books. We seem to be a few short after Principal Snyder's tirade earlier," Giles comments.  
  
"I've phoned the Watcher's Council and they promised to send any information my way," Wesley adds.  
  
"Hey, it just occurred to me. If it was the creature from the blue lagoon, then wouldn't there be slime on the victims cloths?" asks Xander.  
  
"I didn't see any, but I could have missed it. I was in a hurry. That reminds me, Willow how goes that hack?" Buffy asks.  
  
"Null, they haven't posted the crime scene photos into their database yet. Not even reports. Must still be in the paperwork. I'll try it again tomorrow."  
  
"We'll wait till we have more information. But what ever those slimy things are, they attacked me. Without even knowing I was the Slayer. They're a danger to others and I know I can kill them. Show of hands who want to join me tonight?"  
  
"Count me in," Xander raises his hand and looks around. No one else has done so.  
  
"I'd like to, but I got to study for the Science Test tomorrow. I really wish I could. I can still join you tomorrow. Promise," says Willow.  
  
"Meeting adjourned people," Buffy finishes.  
  
The doorbell rings at Buffy's house. Joyce answers it.  
  
"Hello Xander. Buffy's upstairs," Xander walks in, "how are you?"  
  
"Hello Misses Summers. I'm okay."  
  
"I just need to get a few things. Xander, come get a weapon," Buffy calls from the top of the stairs.  
  
Xander runs up and turns right. Buffy's door is open. He enters. Buffy is putting on a jacket. A cold front had moved in, but was almost over. Yet the air was a tad nippy.  
  
He heads for the weapons' chest in the closet. He rummages through them until he finds one that catches his attention. A wrist to elbow length flat black case with straps.  
  
"What does this do?" he holds it up to his face.  
  
"It's a spring activate broad sword," replies Buffy, "you thrust your arm forward and it shoots out. Careful, you'll out you're eye out."  
  
"Really?" he holds the closed end and throws his arm out quickly. A sharp knife jets out, "I wanna take this one, but only because I'm a little scared of it."  
  
"You filled the tank up?"  
  
"Yeah, regular. IT cost me a bit more. Prices have gone up," he raises his sleeve and straps in on tight.  
  
"All right, let's go."  
  
They walk downstairs. Buffy throws a shoulder strap purse on.  
  
"I've never seen you use a purse when Slaying. Buffy, what's up?" her mom asks curiously.  
  
"I can't go around right now with weapons in sight. Three people have been killed, town's a little edgy."  
  
"Can you blame them? Check this out," Xander swings his arm and the blade shoots out.  
  
"Oh my lord, what is that?"  
  
"A Slayer project," answers Buffy.  
  
"It looks awfully dangerous. Xander, please be careful with it. What are you going to do with it?" Joyce asks.  
  
"See how many whacks it takes to get to the center of a demon. I'm betting it's three," Xander replies.  
  
"Buffy opens the door and they head out.  
  
"Please be careful. Good luck," her mom calls out.  
  
They leave.  
  
"I just don't know sometimes," Joyce comments to herself.  
  
They drive down a street toward a cemetery in the inner city. The second one they were now going to search that was nearest to Hathaway.  
  
"Park across the street again?" asks Xander.  
  
"You got it."  
  
"Ah, perfect."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You see those cars in the Piggly Wiggly?" says Xander.  
  
"Yeah? Isn't it closed?"  
  
"It is. Those are grocery stockers. If we park our car close enough, it'll seem like it's one of theirs."  
  
"You mean they work all night? Shouldn't there be a law against that? The Anit-Labor Law or something?" says Buffy.  
  
"Buff, stay with me here. Okay, lock your door."  
  
They get out and walk across the street into the cemetery.  
  
"No slimy demon monster around will try to take your purse now that I got Mr. Sharp Thingy here. Eat lead scum suckers. We've gone pretty far. My car looks so small from here. how big is this one anyway?"  
  
"Pretty big. It's one of the biggest and oldest ones in town. Keep your eyes peeled for anything," says Buffy.  
  
"Yuck. I never really thought about that phrase until now."  
  
A gargled roar approaches them. It rushes at Xander and slams him onto the ground. It inhales and it vehemently discharges the acid like substance at Xander. Xander rolls over just missing it. The monster bends at the knees and roars at Xander. It inhales again. Buffy kicks it in the back. Her foot sticks to it.  
  
"Damn..."  
  
It backs up, not giving her the chance to pull free and she unsteadily bounces back on one leg.  
  
"It slimed me. I wonder if I should save some for Willow..." says Xander.  
  
Buffy falls on her back. The monster inhales and just as it is ready to heave she rolls over, narrowly missing the deadly stream. The chemicals in it cause the grass to light up a noticeable orange. A few shreds catch fire.  
  
"You know, a little mouth wash in the morning will clear that right up," says Buffy.  
  
It reaches for her and as a reflex she grabs at it's arm to try to stop it. IT gives a low broken bellowy roar right in her face.  
  
"Holy lord," she tries to hold her breath, "you know, you may have acid reflux di..."  
  
Xander builds up his courage and resolve and yells, "Hey ooze monger!"  
  
It stands up and turns to see Xander. Buffy slips off his body slowly to the ground.  
  
"Inhale this puppy!" he flings the blade out, slashing it through the monster's neck. Cloven from it's body, the head spins in the air and sticks to the ground at an angle.  
  
Xander helps Buffy up.  
  
"Ummm ... did you get the number of the demon who hit me?"  
  
"I did better - I got his head."  
  
"Please don't make any head jokes."  
  
"Way ahead of you Buff," replies Xander.  
  
"I don't know if I'm groaning at the joke, or groaning at the sharp pain in my back. Aren't old people only supposed to feel that?  
  
They both stop and look at the demon. The body is still standing. They wait a minute until it finally collapses, then go back to what they were doing. They are both startled by a rambunctious disturbance about fifty feet away. There are four more.  
  
"Buffy, what do we do? There's to many of the," says Xander.  
  
"Try to take as many of them as we can. Hurry up," Buffy runs at them with Xander trailing a few feet behind.  
  
He stops and yells, "Buffy!"  
  
She eases to a stop and watches the demons get away.  
  
"Buffy, you better come and see this. Hurry."  
  
She jogs over. "What?"  
  
"Look," he points.  
  
Laying on the ground, slumped over a tombstone are five dead bodies. All the ones facing up had obvious stab wounds.  
  
"What kind of person Buffy? I just ... I just can't understand."  
  
"Come on, we need to go."  
  
"We're not going to say a little prayer, or something?" asks Xander.  
  
"We'll do it later, right now I'm more concerned with remembering how the police were called here last time. Come on, we need to get that demon body," she has to drag him by his arm a bit before he joins her.  
  
"The bodies lay strewn about. Male, female, no discernment, or preference was made in the selecting of the slaughtered.  
  
The blood of the humped over a tombstone on his belly, ray dark red down the stone face and over the engraving, "they will be missed."  
  
They both end up back at the demon corpse. They both start to cough and gag.  
  
"I can barely breath. It feels like my lungs are burning," comments Xander.  
  
"A slight mist of the internal acid from the white abomination rose into the air.  
  
"It's the acid! Do this!" commands Buffy. She takes off her jacket and ties it around her head, covering the mouth and nose. Xander follows by example.  
  
"Bags!" she orders loudly.  
  
"What?!" he asks.  
  
She moves in closer to him and yells, "Bags!"  
  
"Oh!" he pulls out two large black garbage bags from each pocket. He throws two to her and they both open them and double bag.  
  
"Car!" she calls out.  
  
"Right!" he runs as fast as he can for his car.  
  
She places the head in, then the body. She then puts the other half in the other double bag and the bag opening meet in the middle of the bag. She takes the plastic draw strings and ties them together.  
  
Xander pulls in and stops. He pops the trunk and rushes out to help Buffy. They both shuffle the body to his trunk. She slams it closed and just then they hear the sirens.  
  
"They're coming!" Xander yells. He runs like hell to the driver's seat and she jumps into the back. they slam the doors and he floors it.  
  
"I got to keep out of sight. Is there a way out?" asks Buffy.  
  
"There's a back exit. I cut through here once," Xander replies.  
  
"Act normal, obey the speed limit, use your blinkers. Just don't do anything suspicious. If you see a cop, don't look at him."  
  
"10-4 Buff."  
  
  
  
When he reaches the end of the street he had turned onto, he turns right. He comes to a stop sign. A Police car speeds by.  
  
"Man ... I can feel the blood pumping through me - we really shouldn't do this again. I've watched COPS. I'm carrying a concealed weapon," says Xander.  
  
"Xander, I'm sorry. I promise I won't make any of you do this again."  
  
"It's all right. Should we head over to Giles', or something?"  
  
"No, we need to lay low. Act normal. Not draw any attention to ourselves. We'll wait till morning," she says huddled in a ball in the back. Neon lights from store signs run over her face as they drive. She looks up front and sees Xander breathing deeply and tears start to form in her eyes. 


	6. Chapter 6 Untitled

Chapter 6  
  
Giles stretches his arms out and then arches his back, with his hands on the lower part. He pours himself some tea. He looks at his watch. It has Roman Numerals in place of numbers.  
  
"Almost 6:30," he comments before taking another sip and setting the glass down, so he can prepare the library for opening.  
  
The doors burst open and there is Buffy, along with everyone else. Pryce walks into a closing door. He enters with a red mark on his head and a straightens his neck tie.  
  
"You're all here on time," an amazed Giles speaks.  
  
"We used my car again. Can't I get some kind of Slayerette gas mileage reimbursement?" says Xander.  
  
Buffy stands in front of the room. Oz, Willow and Xander sit down.  
  
"Where's Cordillia?" he asks.  
  
"I don't want to bring her into this. I only invited her the other day to warn her. Same with Angel. He doesn't even know and I see no reason to tell him."  
  
"Buffy, what happened?" asks Giles. He lowers the tea cup. Warm vapor is still raising from it.  
  
"Giles, it's getting bad. I mean really bad. We found five dead bodies last night."  
  
"Oh my god, five?" says Willow.  
  
Xander hangs his head down and shakes it yes.  
  
"We killed another whitey. I buried it in my back yard, but there were four more. We had to leave them. Are they just going to keep coming? I don't have that much room left. Giles, please tell me you have something. We're running on low here."  
  
"Well, actually, Wesley did find something."  
  
"Yes. The Council looked up every reference book on rituals. The Chamillas are vessels. they are used in some way to bring forth a 'Profound Change'. They are summoned by the blood of the dead who are killed with a dagger whose blade has been ordained with the blood of the Caller and a vessel. It's an ancient and rare ritual and that's all they could find. It doesn't say what the change is," Wesley finishes.  
  
"Could this in some way be related to the Ascension?" asks Buffy.  
  
"Well, there's no way to know for sure since we don't know what the Ascension itself entails. But it seems rather likely no ordinary person would know such ritualistic activities. Especially when we ourselves don't," Giles comments.  
  
Buffy turns to Willow and speaks, "Willow, any..."  
  
The doors open and in strides Snyder. He eyes then with malevolence.  
  
"What are you all doing here? The library doesn't open till seven," he grumbles.  
  
"If it's any consolation, I don't even want to be here," says Xander looking up at Snyder.  
  
Snyder leans in with his hands on the back part of Xander's chair and replies, "Mr. Harris, you're not funny even when you are wide awake. If you don't want to be here, we can always try I. S. S. "  
  
"We were studying. We had a late night and wanted to get caught up early," Willow jumps in to the rescue.  
  
"Miss Rosenberg, you wouldn't be lying to me would you? If you were studying, then where are your books? Pens? Paper," he emphasizes the last word.  
  
"Ah ... we just got here."  
  
"Is that true?" Snyder looks at Oz. Oz raises an eyebrow and braces for a stare down.  
  
"It is. They just arrived, but not five minutes ago. I permitted them entrance. Seven is not that far off," says Giles.  
  
"Very well, and who might this be?" He eyes Wesley suspiciously.  
  
Puts out his right hand, "Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, pleased to meet you."  
  
Snyder snubs his gesture and asks, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm a friend of Mister Giles here," he replies.  
  
"Is this true?" Snyder moves his eyes to Giles.  
  
"Yes," he sips the tea again.  
  
"I'm here in American for a couple of months and am catching up on the old bloke."  
  
"Very well, but no dilly-dallying. And don't think just because I didn't talk to you Miss Summers, that I;m not watching you," he walks backwards to the doors. He points two fingers to his eyes, then to them.  
  
The door he exists through swings back and forth till it shuts. Xander points to his ass and then gives the finger to the door.  
  
"What an awful little man," says Wesley.  
  
"Correct - and we would also have excepted grotesque," says Xander.  
  
"Where did you learn that word?" asks Willow.  
  
"Oddly enough, English class."  
  
Snyder walks to the right and there standing against the wall is officer Kamen.  
  
"Well?" Kamen asks.  
  
"They're studying," Snyder replies.  
  
"Studying? At 6:30 in the morning?"  
  
"You want me to get her?"  
  
"No ... no. I'll pay her a visit at her own home later today," replies Kamen.  
  
"Very good. It's just what this wayward little youth needs. A little authoritative reminder.":  
  
"Let me ask you something Mr. Snyder. What's your impression of her?"  
  
"Born trouble maker. Rowdy, destructive, opinionated little snot."  
  
"Talks a lot for her age you're saying?"  
  
"Yes! Never shuts up. Always hanging around with that librarian."  
  
"It is my belief that women should know when to speak. Speak only when spoken too maybe."  
  
Snyder's micifous, smug grin disappears when he shuts his mouth. Clearly Kamen's views are strong and somewhat unsettling. But he dare not argue with the man.  
  
"Willow, the hack?" asks Buffy.  
  
"Still nothing on reports, but I did find photos. They're in poor quality and for some reason they are all taken at the same angle. Here," she shifts through her backpack until she finds a folder and pulls out a color print, "they all have the same mark smeared on their foreheads."  
  
Buffy looks at it and passes it on to Giles. He takes his glasses off and examines the picture.  
  
"I'm not familiar with it," he passes it to Pryce.  
  
"Let me see ... me neither. I'll go ahead and fax this over to the Council."  
  
"Thanks," says Buffy.  
  
The symbol is the top half of an oval with two obtuse inward pointing vertical lines. Two lines going away from the center are on the top ends of the oval half.  
  
"It may not be safe any longer to patrol. The cops are probably going to be watching all the cemeteries now. But I can't give up. If it's some sort of demon, then they won't be able to stop it. If it is the Mayor, then nothing will ever get done," says Buffy.  
  
"Well, my position is clear. I advise against that."  
  
"I would order you not to go, but you don;t obey orders anyway," says Pryce.  
  
"Buffy, I'm coming with you. Oz, Xander, Giles even," Willow attempts to cheer Buffy up.  
  
"I can't. I won't bring you into the line of danger."  
  
"You should at least bring Angel with you. You need backup," says Giles.  
  
"No way, if bullets start flying and Angel gets hit, that's it. I may be able to recover, but he can't. How about you Wes, you want to get some real filed action?"  
  
"Well, ah..." he stumbles in speech trying to find an excuse.  
  
"He cant," Giles answers Buffy, "if the Watcher's Council should respond, he has to answer. Since I am no longer employed, I cannot be the receiver of such information. Council rules."  
  
"Precisely. Under better circumstances I would," says Pryce.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. If it were just right, you'd leap to the role of hero. Giles, I can't take you. I need you here."  
  
"You sure you don't want us to help you? I'm all over the not studying part," says Xander.  
  
"Tell you what, after I get home and have had tome to properly access the situation, I'll give you all a call."  
  
"Yes, well that sounds about right. Good work everyone," Pryce says aloud.  
  
Buffy sits on the living room couch. The television is on and turned to the news. Commercials end and the news returns.  
  
"Mom!" Buffy calls out.  
  
"Is it back?" Joyce's reply comes form the kitchen. She hurries into the living room with a cop of coffee.  
  
The news caster starts to speak as Joyce sits down.  
  
"...chilling news this evening as police investigate the deaths of five people earlier this morning. Sunnydale sheriffs department was dispatched to the Santa Rosa burial grounds after another anonymous tip. There they made the gruesome discovery. Sunnydale residents, John Allabastor, 21 and Lisa Brammon, 26 were found dead with one stab wound to the chest. At this hour the other three victims have not been identified. The Sunnydale sheriff's officer strongly urges the anonymous caller to contact them at the number below. Here are photos of John Allabastor and Lisa Brammon..... is you have any information, please contact the sheriffs Department.  
  
All of Sunnydale's residents are in shock at this hour as police have closed down five different cemeteries. At the end of this report we will put the list on your screen.  
  
Here are what some local residents had to say:  
  
'It's horrible. I no longer feel safe walking the streets at night. What kind of person would do this?"  
  
'I work the third shift for the City Sanitation and I don't know if I feel comfortable anymore.'  
  
'I used to let my teenage daughter stay out late, but with all these people being murdered, I have to put her on a curfew.'  
  
'I'm scared. I'm scared of walking to my car, walking on the street, checking my mail. I don't even feel safe in my own home.'  
  
Police are asking..."  
  
DING DONG! The door bell rings.  
  
"I'll get it," Buffy jumps up.  
  
"Yeah..." Joyce stares unnervingly at the screen. Transfixed in terror.  
  
Buffy swings the door open to reveal officer Kamen.  
  
"Can I help you?" she says half startled and half surprised.  
  
"We met a couple times. I'm Charles Kamen. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me? Help clear up the miniscolest of details."  
  
"Sure," she replies with a bit of apprehension.  
  
"Can I ask what you were doing at the Santa Rosa Cemetery last night?"  
  
"I wasn't at that place last night."  
  
"Well then, can you tell me what you were doing at the Hathaway Cemetery Friday night?"  
  
"I didn't go there."  
  
"Stop. Don't you dare insult my intelligence young lady. You berate yourself when you do so."  
  
"Am I being charged with anything?"  
  
"You know, it was really stupid of you to return that night. Really stupid. I had a picture of your shoe prints taken and their size matched those found on the Hathaway grounds. Now that in it's self is purely a superficial finding, but I am willing to bet the other prints found match one, or more of those friends you hang out with. And furthermore I am willing to bet the ones all over Santa Rosa are your size. Now, what do you think of that?" he stares unblinking.  
  
"I don't think I like your tone," she closes the door and it stops. She looks down to see his foot blocking it. He pushes the door open.  
  
"You don't like MY tone? You know, it bugged me, it really bugged me; that teacher who was murdered last year. Poor women who had her neck snapped. Jenny Calender."  
  
The hair on Buffy's arms stand on end.  
  
Kamen continues, "She was found dead, oodly enough, in your librarian friend's home. Rupert Giles. You know, funny thing about that - dirt encrusted on her shoes matched that of dirt found only at Sunnydale High? And that the toxicology reports showed chemicals in her lungs. They were matched to those used by the janitorial staff at the high school. As if someone stopped breathing and the chemical molecules were never dissolved by the body properly. One may wonder, who did move her body?"  
  
Buffy holds onto the door edge with her mouth slightly agape and her eyes unblinking. IT never occurred to her the findings of an investigation would come back to haunt her. Joyce walks behind her with a look of confusion.  
  
"Got your attention I see. I did a little digging into past files and you'll never guess what I saw. You were arrested on murder charges. Some black girl you named as Kendra. You were cleared, but again - no suspect was ever found."  
  
"I don't know who you think you are, but my daughter would never do such things. I don't know if I want you at my house anymore," says Joyce with a bit of angry impatience.  
  
"Mom, please."  
  
"You must be Miss Summers. You're gonna love this one - seems a girl matching your daughter's description was arrested for burglary. She had an accomplice ... but here's the real kicker - that very night, a young lady fitting you daughter's accomplice's appearance killed the Deputy Mayor in an alley. Strangely enough, the man was stabbed in the chest."  
  
"Buffy, we don't have to listen to this. I want you to stop harassing my daughter, or I'll report you."  
  
"Faith I believe was her name. If we find her and match her shoes, they won't be the same prints from Hathaway, now will they?"  
  
"I don't know," replies Buffy.  
  
"You don't know," he moves in real close and looks her dead in the eyes, "if we sent an excavation team out and dug up your backyard, we wouldn't find anything would we?"  
  
Buffy thinks of the demons she has killed that didn't dissolve and had buried in the back. Even if not human in appearance, it would be taken as such. She panics quietly.  
  
"I've had enough of this. I want you to leave!" Joyce forcefully commands. She pushes Buffy to the side and tries to slam the door shut. Kamen forces it open. Joyce stumbles back in surprise.  
  
"I will leave when I am damn well ready and maybe I'll take your daughter with me. I could take her in for questioning. You'll mess up. You've done so before. I only have but to wait. If someone else turns up dead, you best be damn well sure you weren't there, or I'm gonna nail you," he backs up in a cocky slow manner. A garish display of power.  
  
Joyce shuts the door. She speaks, "What do we do? I feel like a prisoner in my own home. We need to call and find out who this man's supervisor is and report him."  
  
"So, you're going to call the police? He's a cop and so is his supervisor. Mom, do the math."  
  
"Then what Buffy? Tell me, cause I'm really drawing a blank."  
  
"I'll call Giles, he'll know what to do."  
  
"Buffy, wait. That night when you brought Spike over, you mentioned something about stopping Angel, you're boyfriend."  
  
"He's not my boyfriend. At least not anymore. We're good friends is all."  
  
"Did he kill Miss Calender?"  
  
She stops on the first couple stairs and turns around, "Yes."  
  
"Great, so you're really good friends with a killer vampire."  
  
"He's rehabilitated."  
  
"Oh, a rehabilitated killer vampire, that's so much more comforting."  
  
"He was cursed. It made him evil, but Willow fixed it," she lied. Not wanting to further infuriate her mother by telling her that Angel had been brought back by pure evil to kill her, "he's good now. All better."  
  
"You didn't kill that Kendra did you? You can tell me cause, I understand you're a Slayer and that it might have been self defense."  
  
Buffy looks at her mother's face and sees the doubt Kamen had installed in her mind.  
  
"He's trying to scare us. I didn't kill Kendra, or the Deputy Mayor. Spike's girlfriend killed Kendra. I was unfortunate enough to come running in shortly after. How could you believe him?  
  
"I honestly didn't, but Buffy, he provided such a compelling..."  
  
"I know," she finishes he mother's though without saying it, "and that's exactly why we can't call the cops. Now, I'm going to go call Giles. If someone comes to the door, don't answer it," she starts to head up and then comes about again, "and mom..."  
  
"Yes honey."  
  
"...lock the doors tonight. Make sure all the windows locked tightly and be sure to check the backdoor. I'm gonna see if I can borrow Cordelia's cellular phone for you. She has a couple of them. One for you, one for me. I need to call now, sun's beginning to set."  
  
"Go ahead," Joyce gets butterflies in her stomach over the thought of darkness approaching.  
  
As Buffy runs upstairs, Joyce goes over to the living room and peers through the curtains. Outside along the curb is Kamen in his Police Cruiser. He is talking into something. He looks over at the house. She shuts the curtains quickly and can feel her heart pounding.  
  
Buffy dials Giles' house. It rings a couple times before he picks up.  
  
"No, I don't want to change my bloody long distance carrier, or buy any of your sodding magazines! Stop calling me!"  
  
"Giles, it's me. Have yo had your Xoloft today?"  
  
"Oh Buffy, I'm sorry. It's these damned telemarketers. They call me morning, noon and night. Even, as it is quite often joked, when I'm in the shower. Did you need something?"  
  
"I just got an up close and personal with officer Damion. Sheriff of Mulberry he's not. That cop who pulled us over the other night."  
  
"Did he give you any trouble?" says Giles worriedly.  
  
"My shoe prints were found at both crime scenes. He can't yet tie it to me, but he's bent on it. The man threatened me Giles."  
  
"Did you record any of this, have a witness other then your friends, or your mother?"  
  
"No. We can't even call the police."  
  
"There is always a channel for such things. I'll contact the state sheriff's Office. Hopefully his pull doesn't reach that high, but it's your word against his. The best they can be able to do is put him on suspension."  
  
"Then what? Have him explain to them his side of the story? The man brought up Kendra, the Deputy Mayor, Faith and Jenny's death. Giles, you should have heard him. It's very convincing."  
  
"I don't know what else to tell you Buffy. My knowledge of the Judicial System maybe somewhat limited, but I believe that is the best we can do."  
  
"Faith did kill the deputy Mayor and her prints are at Hathaway. We could..."  
  
"Don't," Giles interrupts her, "don't even think about it. It's wrong, it's puerile and on a basic level should go against the very things which you stand for. There has to be another way. We'll find it."  
  
"I hope so. Each day that passes, it becomes less and less hospitable atmosphere for Slayers. As it is I am worried about going tonight."  
  
He closes his eyes and shakes his head. He switches hands and scratches his head as he speaks, "I don't suppose I can dissuade you to do otherwise?"  
  
"When does that ever work?"  
  
"Quite right. Though you should at least take it into consideration once."  
  
"I considered it. I always consider. I'm a considerationist."  
  
"Darnit all to hell!"  
  
"Seriously, Xoloft. Ask your doctor about it," says Buffy.  
  
"My left over casserole is burning. If you'll excuse me."  
  
"Catch you later," replies Buffy.  
  
"All right then. Please be careful."  
  
  
  
She hangs up and dials Willow. 


	7. Chapter 7 Untitled

It is late at night. Altocumulus clouds spuraticly covered the night sky. The moonlight periodically shun through.  
  
Two scantly clad young women ran through a cemetery. Both giggling and clearly inebriated. the attacker gave chase.  
  
One of them stops at an open grave. No coffin was in it and neither did it bare a tombstone.  
  
"Look at this!" she says.  
  
Both the sttacker and the other female stop and look.  
  
The second girl replies, "What are we seeing at?" she giggles again at her improper speech.  
  
"Oh, oh, see it? This must be for one of these killed peoploe!"  
  
"You don't think he'd be out there somewhere?" says the second girl.  
  
"Such speculation would be more than precise," comments the attacker.  
  
The second girl, in a red dress which glimmered in the moonlight, raps her arms around the attacker and moves in closer as almost to kiss him.  
  
"You're not that nasty killer guy are you?"  
  
"Heaven forefend," he sasy in a somber voice.  
  
"Forefend, speculation. I love this guy. Yoiu talk so smart," she kisses him.  
  
Both girls sit on the grass whispering to each other and luaghing.  
  
The attacker doff's a slim backpack and places in on the ground. He unzips it and pulls out two newspaper wrapped cahmpagne glasses. Also unrolling a bottle of champagne from bubble wrap. He thumbs the cork up on the bottle until it pops. As he is about to drug the champagne with a more than normally used dose of morphine, he sees one of the girls pulls out some drugs.  
  
He shrugs and wisks off one of hos now pointless responsibilities and says, "what are you holding?"  
  
"LSD. Gimmie!" the first girl reaches for a champagne glass. He lets her have it and she spills it as she pulls it to her. He hands the red adorned girl her glass. the first laces her drink and laces the others. she offers the attacker some.  
  
"No thank you."  
  
They drink and drink as he pulls out his dagger and cleanses it's sharpe, ruff, double edged blade.  
  
The two girls begin touching each other; strocking one another's legs.  
  
He looks over with displeasure on his face. The two girls kiss and fondle each other. One falls down onto her back and the other sits by her and leans in to kiss again. She stops to look up and give the attacker a come hither glance, then continues to make out with her friend.  
  
The girl laying down pushes away and asks for her champagne. the other girl points and then walks on all fours to him.  
  
He pulls out a screw caped bottle of holy water and speaks.  
  
"Rampant is the promiscuity. Those of underservance and of unclean being have befouled this world. You whore thyself in glottuny all in the name of pleasure. You whore!"  
  
"Hey! Don't call me a whore you asshole!" the first girl angrily shouts.  
  
She is now hellucinating and the moon's rays appear to shine down in visable rays as he moves in closer. He splashes the holy water into her eyes. she yells and shakes her hand.  
  
"Your eyes are not privilaged to bare testimate of this sight. You are a plague upon this land. Look upon me! For I am your deliverance!" he strikes forward with the dagger. Her arms block his aim and the dagger jams into her belly. She screams barely, uttering more of a laughing cry of pain. she closes her eyes and backwards her head tilts.  
  
The girl in the red dress stops drinking to look on in horror.  
  
He strikes again, plunging it into her chest. He draws out the blade and uses the blood to paint the symbol on her head.  
  
"No!" the watching friend calls out. She stumbles up and tries to run. the world seems to sway to her and she stops. He runs up from behind and grabs her.  
  
"Let go!"  
  
He spins her around, "Don't fear it! you are about to be transcended to a plane of higher being. You give therein to amend my presance. I become! I shall arrive reborn by thy charitable giving. I am the bringer, I am the cleanser, I am your deliverance!" he thrusts the blade into her chest. He pours the water over her head. It trickles down in stray lines from her hair on her face. Her mascara runs fomr hear tears, giving the appearance of crying black.  
  
"You do not cease top be. Journey into your new state of being. It is not death, but life. Relinquish all apprehension. Give yourself to my purpose, my change."  
  
She falls down by the grave and rolls in. He picks up after himself and puts the backpack back on. Blending with the rest of his black cloths into the dark.  
  
"You are transgressing as I am forthcoming. Let there not be tears, but recognition of my deed. Weap not for yourselves, but for the impure. I shall purge this land and my purifying will run red across the land. Share with me..."  
  
"Just hold it right there son," Kamen points his firearm at the attacker.  
  
"My child, fear not - for I am your deliverance. You are unclean. Let me purge you of all misgivings."  
  
"Mayor, you get that load?" he speaks into a cellular phone with his free hand. "Yeah ... yeah. I most certainly don't agree with you, but I will obey your wishes. Son, you move them legs again and you'll lose one. On behalf of the Mayor of Sunnydale, how would you like to serve him?"  
  
"I am my own. You will witness a profound change," he utters in a lowe voice with a hint of determination.  
  
"Tell him what? As you wish. son, you know of the Ascnesion?"  
  
"Lohesh achieved Ascension and all there went silent. He is a stain uopn society. I shall contact people who will impede your Ascension."  
  
"You'll do no such thing," he speaks of his own words, "your prints were pulled from dried blood on some victims foreheads. I had the damndest time identifying you. turns out the station that held you driminal records burnt to the ground. You probably thought that was real clever. And, well I'll be - you lived in the same town at the same time frame. Now you didin't go burning down that police station did you boy? Cause I believe you did, but you know what? I found your file on a backup floppy disk. One's that were not sent to the state juvinile hall. Markus Langtrum right?"  
  
The killer says nothing.  
  
"Oh, byt the way, drop the knife boy ... yeah ... I got you. thanks again Mister Mayor. The Mayor says to tell ya, you have three days to make up your mind and join him, or I get my way. And my way involves killing you slowly. He also asks that you not kill anyone else. three days boy. you know where City Hall is. Now, I got to go call this in, give you a fair chance to get the hell away from here. I really hope you choose not to. I'm itching to pump you full of 44s," he walks off.  
  
The attacker's adrenilon races and anger builds in him until his face turns red. He turns around.  
  
Two slimey white Chamillas are standing in front of him.  
  
Kamen walks back. the attacker is gone. The body that was in the shallow grave had been moved and now rest neat her friend.  
  
He examies them.  
  
"You son of a bitch. You couldn't help your stupid self," he lets his hand off one of the girl's head. It falls back limp.  
  
"Wake up honey. Come on, their waiting."  
  
"Mom?" she wakes up. Her head hurt and things still looked fuzzy.  
  
"Hurry up," says Joyce.  
  
"Waht? Did something happen?" she sits up.  
  
The clock read 10:13. the sun was still an orange. She pulled the covers off and went downstairs to see what her mother was doing.  
  
She walks into the kitchen after having checked the Living Room and there stood Giles, Wesley, Oz, Willow and Xander. Both Willow and Xander had plates of food in thei hands.  
  
"My birthday's nest month. Waht gives you guys?"  
  
"It's Tuesday!" exclaimes Willow.  
  
"Yeah? And yesterday was Monday. So?" says Buffy.  
  
"It's Passover. Jewish people havfe holidays too."  
  
"Yeah, didn't you wonder why you weren't in school today Buff?" says Xander.  
  
"I thought it was one of those regualr off days."  
  
"Nope, just Passover," replies Willow.  
  
"Isn't Passover on Thursday? The 22nd?"  
  
"Yeah, but I wanted to spend it with you guys. My mom won't let me go Thursday. It's the one day of the year she pays attention to me."  
  
"Now that that's all settled, can we please sit down?" asks Giles.  
  
Wesley gets up to get a drink.  
  
"Miss Summers, if you could kindly tell me where the drinking glasses are located?"  
  
"No, sit. I'll get it. What do you want?" asks Joyce.  
  
"Ah, coffee."  
  
"Geez Will, what's with all the food?" asks Buffy.  
  
"I won't even dignify that with a response."  
  
"You just did," says Xander.  
  
"Passover is when Jewish people eat a lot and get fat to celebrate when god killed someone's kid. Wouldn't all that eating be glutteny? I don't exactly agree with all the details," says Oz.  
  
"Thanks Oz, I think," says Buffy.  
  
"I like any holiday that involes free food and is tasty. Someone please pass me a cupcake?" says Xander.  
  
Wesley pulls one out and hands it to Xander.  
  
About twenty minutes later Giles wipes his mouth with a napkin, takes off a lap cloth and says, "Willow, if I could see you for one moment. Buffy?"  
  
"Don't get up. We'll be right back. Eat, eat, eat," says Willow.  
  
"They leave to the Living Room.  
  
"Oh, this Cheese Cake is extrodianry. Who did this?"  
  
"All my doing. than kyou Pryce," says Joyce.  
  
"While I hate to spoil such an meal, today ios smoewhat colored by are findings. Wesley recieved a call from the Watcher's Council on the Chamillas."  
  
"So, what's the word?" asks Buffy.  
  
"That's just it. there is no word. they cannot find any book, or text pertaining to the details of this act. Which in of itself is a contridiction. For a ritual that has no instructions, someone us awfulally keen on it's exact details. It could be dangerous, but I am afraid Willow bares even worse news."  
  
Willow turns her look from Giles to Buffy. She twiddles her fingers.  
  
"Two more people were found dead this morning, but that's the good nbews."  
  
"Let it out."  
  
"Buffy, you wore the same shoes. Your shoe prints were found at two of the homicide locations. They loaded the report last night. that makes you the only suspect."  
  
"But in of itsefl is just hearsay. there were no witnesses. Lord knows, there are plenty of girls your age that shop where you do. they need more evidence."  
  
"That's it. No more. Giles, I'm going patrolling tonight. This killer only has so many locations to pick from now."  
  
"We'll come with," says Willow.  
  
"I just may need you to. All of you. Giles, even you."  
  
"Even Cordelia?" asks Willow.  
  
"She's not envited. I say we go back to eating. How about?" says Buffy.  
  
"Sounds good to me. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears."  
  
"Lets," says Giles. He heads back to the kitchen.  
  
"Oh Buffy, I forgot. there was also the strangest thing. Not all the autopsy photos were posted. They were all like looking at the right. Can't see the left sde of their body thing. I think I need to go eat something before I can't," says Willow.  
  
"Happy Passover Willow," says Buffy.  
  
"Thank you. You too," she enters as well.  
  
  
  
Buffy stands at the entrance with the wall covering half her face. she watches everyone eat.  
  
Willow and Xander start a food fight. someone throws a piece at Wesley. He jumps, startled. 


	8. Chapter 8

Willow, Buffy and Wesley walk through a cemetery, inspecting everything as they go.  
  
"Come in Nighthawk," Willow talks into a yellow walkie-talkie with some red and blue strips wrapping around the top.  
  
"Willow, that you?" asks Xander.  
  
"Affirmative. Do you copy Nighthawk?"  
  
"That's a 10-4 Will-Meister. Everything all right there?"  
  
"Everything is okie dokie."  
  
"Okie dokie?"  
  
"Shhh!" Buffy's voice comes over the communication.  
  
"How come she gets to talk?" asks Wesley?  
  
"Because she's not annoying," replies Giles.  
  
"I protest," barks Wesley.  
  
"Good for you," says Giles.  
  
"Copy that. Over and out," answers Xander.  
  
"These could be very useful for future use. I don't know why Buffy doesn't use them," comments Giles.  
  
"They tend to break pretty easy with all the pummeling. We went through two sets last summer," answers Oz.  
  
"Shame really. I press this button here to talk?" asks Giles.  
  
"Yeah, the one with the tiny letters spelling out 'Talk'," replies Xander.  
  
"You'll never let me forget this one will you?"  
  
"Nope. Bring it out suddenly, from nowhere while you're saying something important."  
  
"If you don't tell anybody, I wont remind them all of 'Bitcha'."  
  
"Ouch, low blow from the bookman. Sounds good to me."  
  
Giles looks over and realizes Oz overheard.  
  
"You'll not say anything right?"  
  
"Do I ever?" replies Oz.  
  
"Ah, yes ... Buffy," he pushes the button, "can you hear me?"  
  
"Loud and clear. What's up?"  
  
  
  
"Oh, it worked," he presses the button again, "we're just about finished with this location. Nothing so far."  
  
"It's pretty quiet over here too," she replies.  
  
"Maybe he's Jewish. Taking a day off," says Willow.  
  
"Nothing like that festive spirit Will. Giles ... we're done here. We're going to move on. Maybe he won't kill anyone tonight."  
  
The killer stands a dead person up on a cinder block. The body arches slightly over a concrete railing. He places another block behind her head on the railing itself. He lets go and the body almost falls over. He catches it and repositions it just right. He loops some rope through the block's holes and around her neck. Then back through the holes, finally tying a slipknot. He does the same for the feet.  
  
He sticks one of his fingers into her chest wound and paints the symbol on the body's head  
  
"I transgress by way of your giving. Moving to a higher state. Forthcoming I am."  
  
A bright white lite shines in the darkness; shooting from a point in the air at many angles. With one quick flash a Chamilla appears. It walks toward him just as the killer moves away from the victim's head.  
  
"You are privileged to bare testimate to my transformation. Behold as I immix with the vessel, bringing me forth another step to my becoming."  
  
He walks up to the white demon. He stands in front and closes his eyes. After tilting his head back, the demon grabs him and shoves him into it's own skin. Inside the Chamilla he raises his arms up into the raised arms of the demon itself.  
  
It roars and chunks of it begin to fall off. Slowly it melts over the attacker until it is all, but gone.  
  
The attacker turns around with his arms still up.  
  
"Behold my transmutation!" he speaks to the lifeless body before him.  
  
The left over slime seeps into the pours of his skin until he is almost completely dry. He walks over to the dead person's body, "You have been rescued by my hand. And tomorrow others will transcend. I shall be the deliverance of all that is impure."  
  
He lifts the legs up onto the railing and pushes the body off the bridge into the lake below. The water ripples and the body sinks fast to the bottom.  
  
A knock comes to the Mayor's officer door.  
  
"If you'll excuse me my dear," he gets up from his desk to answer the door. "Why My Kamen! What a pleasant surprise! Please come on in. Faithy dear, I'd like you to meet a good friend of daddies, Charlie Kamen. Charlie, this is Faith."  
  
"I like a man in uniform," she shakes his hand.  
  
"I like my girls legal. That's some grip you got going on there. Exercise a lot?" he comments while realizing who she was.  
  
"You could say I was born with it," and winks an eye.  
  
"Yes, I swear it has been a year since I've seen you. Gosh! How have you been?" asks the Mayor.  
  
"Gliding with the punches. I was in L.A. for a bit. Had to leave. There was too many of 'them' out there. You know what I mean."  
  
"Oh, no need to be so insidious, she used to kill those things for a living. Like little balloons, just popping one right after another. Quite the little spitfire. So what brings you to my office officer?"  
  
"I identified the killer."  
  
"You did?! That's great. I was beginning to think I'd have to make more campaign promises to people I'm just gonna wind up eating later."  
  
"Eating?" asks Kamen.  
  
"It's a political term. So, do tell," he sits on his desk to the left of Faith, who has sat down in a rolling chair.  
  
"His name is Markus Langstrum," answer Kamen.  
  
"Funny how we never seem to suspect murders with the name Mark. I heard you tell him this over the phone yesterday. Is that all?"  
  
"No. I believe I know why he kills these people. His parents abused him when he was little. So badly he was in the Emergency Room for over a week. Finally his father shot and killed his mother and took off. Markus went through a series of Foster homes for the next ten years where he was beaten and sexually assaulted. "Just before he turned 12 he was placed with the Williamsons; they were good people. Over the next five years he showed remarkable improvement in psychiatric counseling. He loved them. Then one day he came home from school to find them both dead. Mister Williamsons had been bludgeoned to death and had twelve stabs wounds. Misses Williamsons had been stripped naked and raped repeatedly, then shotgunned in the head. She was identified by her teeth.  
  
They were rich and he inherited all of the money, when he turned 18 that is. For a few months he lived in proverty and when his 18th birthday rolled around corner, within a week had the money transferred to a secret account and he disappeared. Now one can only guess where he had gone, but to have such hatred and anger build in you for ten years, it's no wonder he turned out the way he did."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry this wayward youth had a rough childhood, but you don't make things right by killing people. If everyone did that, no one would have been able to vote me in. This young man and I are going to have a serious talk when he gets here. I only hope he can use Faithy here as a role model and strive to be like her. Kids today, when will they ever learn violence is not the answer. Three days is too much, find him tonight."  
  
"Yes sir. It was good seeing you Mister Wilkens. Later," he bows out of the room.  
  
"Buy now! Swell guy he is."  
  
"Violence never solves anything? Come on boss, you're planning to rip this town a new one," says Faith.  
  
"Yes sweetie, but I'm a grown up."  
  
Buffy runs to her mail box. She opens it and retrieves the letters. Thumbing through them as she walked back to the house. She stops. A letter with no return address. She opens it. She unfolds the letter and there on the bottom of the page is the mark the killer had painted on all his victims.  
  
It gave a time and a location for her to meet him. It also left her extremely uneasy that this man knew where she lived. She puts the letters under her arms and puts the killer's letter in her pants before she goes back in.  
  
"Did I get anything?" asks her mom.  
  
"Just bills."  
  
"I hate bills."  
  
"Me too," she runs upstairs.  
  
Her mom looks over for a second wondering and then goes back to what she was doing.  
  
  
  
Buffy bends down, "Giles, you there?"  
  
"Yes, go ahead," he replies over the walkie-talkie.  
  
"I think I see him. I'm going to turn the volume off. Contact you in five. Out," she turns off the communicator's volume. She gets up and walks up to the killer silently. He is on his knees praying. His eyes open and he stands up. Buffy stops.  
  
"You're human," she says not sensing any vampire.  
  
"More, or less."  
  
"What are you?"  
  
He pulls out a rifle and aims, "I am your deliverance!" and he fires. A dart injected with the overly concentrated morphine sticks into her right side near the belly.  
  
"Do not fear it, let it..."  
  
She pulls it right out, looks at it and throws it to the ground.  
  
"We can do this easy, or I can beat your ass into oblivion. Your choice. I prefer the ass kicking part."  
  
Astonished, he fires again. She stops in her tracks and shakes her head. She then paces quickly at him. She punches him in the face. When she swings again he ducts and aims. At close range he fires the third dose. She grabs him by the shoulders. Her vision becomes glared and her equilibrium plays tricks on her.  
  
"This is, but a temporary state. You will sacrifice for the greater good. Giving for my transformation!" almost pushing his will upon her. Showing no sign of sorrow or forgiveness for what he has done as if this was perfectly acceptable and for him, normal.  
  
She slips down to the ground. Losing her motor functions and balance, she wabbles and falls backwards against a tombstone.  
  
He splashes the water over her face. He straddles her body and looks her in the eyes wildly.  
  
"Your eyes are privileged to bare testimate to my transcendence; that I may change! Behold ... as I become!" his face shifts to that of a vampires. "witness this child's act therein of selflessness. Revere not; for you're humble being is bestowed with thy own generosity," he moves to the next tombstone where a man tied up with rope sits. His head is covered with a black cloth. The attacker pulls it off. It is Scott Hope.  
  
"Scott?" says Buffy.  
  
"Buffy? Is that you? I'm so dizzy," he replies. The man is dehydrated and weak.  
  
The attacker gets on his knees, straddling Hope.  
  
"Look upon my face my child. I am your deliverance!" he pulls out the dagger and holds it up and in a ready to strike position.  
  
"Please don't kill me!" Hope pleas.  
  
But they fall upon death ears when the attacker continues to speak, "Fear not. It shall pass. Yours is a glorious sacrifice. Embrace your journey. It is not death, but an alteration of state," he rams the jagged edged dagger into Scott's chest.  
  
"No!!!" cries out Buffy. Scott looks into Buffy eyes with desperation and she sees the life slowly fade from them.  
  
"Let the pain slip away and transcend in my honor. I am becoming."  
  
Scott's head goes limp and a stream of blood trickles down his face from his mouth.  
  
BANG! The attacker's head shoots up and he arches his back in pain. He spins around and there, standing with a still smoking gun barrel is officer Kamen.  
  
"Now stay right there or I'll dust your sorry ass," he speaks into his shoulder communicator," dispatch, this is Charlie221 Alpha."  
  
"Charlie221 Alpha, this is dispatch. Go ahead."  
  
"I need an ambulance and a back up unit to Saint Christie's Burial Grounds. I have the graveyard killer and two victims in sight."  
  
"Copy that Charlie221 Alpha. An ambulance and backup are being dispatched to your location."  
  
  
  
The voice indicator lite on Buffy's walkie-talkie goes on and off.  
  
"Drop the knife. Don't put it down, just drop it," orders Kamen.  
  
The attacker drops it.  
  
"You reek of sin. You and your kind are a plague upon this world. Your blood will spill by thy cleansing and make pure the land."  
  
"Sure, you just sit back tight while I read you your rights. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say..."  
  
A gargled roar comes from behind him. He comes about face to face with the white Chamilla. It roars in his face. He draws his firearm and fires multiple times. A liquid drains from each hole that was made.  
  
The attacker reaches down, grabs the knife and lunges at Kamen, striking him in the back.  
  
"Fear not!" the attacker holds the knife in hard, "You are transcending. Relinquish yourself in thy honor. Behold! For I will now become!"  
  
It is them that Buffy realizes 12 has been the magical number needed and that assailant was about to achieve what they feared would occur.  
  
He retracts the dagger and goes back to Hope. He bites down and draws Scott's blood. Kamen falls to the ground. He pulls back wild eyed with blood still dripping from his fangs.  
  
"I'm going to kill you," says Buffy.  
  
The attacker looks over still heaving from the lusting rush from the blood and licks it from his lips, "I need now, but to converge with thy vessels and you shall bare witness to my arrival. I am second coming. I shall wipe the land clean of impurity and the unclean will parish. Watch, as I am now forthcoming," he moves over to one of the now two Chamillas and merges with one. Just before he raises his hands, a sword blade slashes across the demon's jugular, lopping off it's head.  
  
"Giles!" calls out Buffy.  
  
"Are you hurt?" he knees down and grabs one of her hands. He checks her pulse.  
  
"I can't move," she replies. Still teary eyed.  
  
"Are you injured?"  
  
"She shot me full of some drug."  
  
Giles looks up t the killer.  
  
"Lie still. Help is on the way," he looks over at the attacker, "I don't imagine you'll go without a fight? Though I must admit, some small part of me wishes to inflict some sort of reparation."  
  
"You are unclean. The sins are old, but I can still smell them upon you. No matter, bare witness," he leans over Buffy after Giles turns his back to examine Kamen.  
  
"Get off her!" he yells.  
  
"...for I am becoming..."  
  
"Very annoying."  
  
The attacker looks up and there is Xander holding out the arm strapped sword.  
  
The attacker growls menacingly and leaps at him. Xander stumbles backwards and lands on his posterior. He lifts himself up and holds there with his arms as the attacker lands in front of him.  
  
The killer's eyes are white. He reaches into his pocket for the dagger and Oz comes running at him.  
  
Giles starts to join them when suddenly the last standing Chamilla rushes at him gurgling.  
  
"Oh dear," he turns around and runs into Willow.  
  
"Giles!" she calls out.  
  
"Run quickly."  
  
"What? Oh!"  
  
And they both take flight with the demon in chase.  
  
"What am I doing? I have the sword," Giles turns around to face the demon, holding the sword up.  
  
The demon squirts the acid at him. He raises his forearm for protection and Willow backs up covering her face. It stops and Giles and Willow both look back.  
  
"Do you smell something burning?" asks Giles.  
  
"Giles! Your coat! It's on fire!"  
  
"well, I knew I was making a bit of a fashion state ... oh!" he drops the sword and quickly tries to remove his coat as the demon confronts them.  
  
"That was a two-hundred dollar Tweed suit and I don't suppose you care?"  
  
He bends down fast in an attempt to recover the sword. The demon swipes him upside his head, sending him to the ground. His glasses fly off and land five feet away.  
  
"Willow, I can't see a blessed thing. Help me please!"  
  
She bends down on her buckled knees to assist him. The demon inhales again and they both shut their eyes tightly and looks away from the forthcoming onslaught. They brace for it.  
  
Oz has a forearm mounted crossbow on as he reaches Xander. The attacker is leaning in to stab Xander in the heart when Oz yells out, "Hey! Creature feature, over here!"  
  
The attacker jumps off Xander and catches an arrow in his left side. He tried to escape by jumping over a tombstone, but another arrow fired by Oz digs into his left leg. He falls down, grabbing the arrow wound in pain.  
  
"I still miss my X, but my aim is improving," comments Oz.  
  
Giles and Willow, both practically grinding their teeth in frightful anticipation, hear a thud.  
  
They both open their eyes and still a bit jittery, look up. There in front of them stands the now headless Chamilla.  
  
"Willow, what's going on?" asks Giles.  
  
Wesley comes frantically from behind the demon with excitement in his eyes.  
  
"Did I get it? Is it completely dead?"  
  
"I'll go get your glasses," Willow slightly laughs.  
  
"Thank you, I really appreciate it," says Giles.  
  
Willow runs off. Wesley looks at the sword.  
  
"It was a bit heavier than I remembered. Log one in the score book for me. You know, I guess the sword is still mightier than the pen at times."  
  
"Where's Buffy?" asks Giles.  
  
"The attacker pulls the arrow out of his side and leg. He rubs the sore spots and then turns around. There is Buffy, still leaned up against the grave marker.  
  
"You! I would have cleansed this Earth as a whole. Delivered the mass from evil."  
  
"By killing a bunch of people? Did you ever stop to ask the victims if that is what they wanted?"  
  
"They were sacrificed for the grater good. Murders, thieves, rapists befoul this would! I have seen such pure and innocent people slaughtered for no reason. No reason! Innocents murdered for petty cash. These individuals need to face justice! They needed to face me! I needed it," he stops. After nearly a decade the realization hit him. He tried to cover his tracks," why did you? How could you! I had a plan!" he yells and shakes Buffy.  
  
Xander drops a stake into Buffy's waiting right hand.  
  
"Sorry, it looks like your plans have gone up in smoke," and she drives the stake into his heart. He looks down and back up.  
  
"I fear not; for it is not death, but an alteration of state. Where I am going there is no evil."  
  
Buffy looks at his white eyes. His lips are also white and his hair has lost all color. He violently explodes in a huge puff of white smoke. His skeleton does not dissolve and collapses upon Buffy.  
  
"Wouldn't bet on that," she says.  
  
Oz kneels down to aid Buffy and Xander runs off to get his car. Willow, Giles and Pryce come stumbling in. Giles runs his hands through his hair on the side the demon's fist had struck. Strings of slime snap off his fingers and his hair stands up on that side of his head. Resembling an Alfalfa look.  
  
"Is everyone all right?" asks Giles.  
  
"I think I am, but still having difficulty with the moving of the legs."  
  
Oz looks at Giles hair as he speaks, "Xander went to bring the car around. Giles you got ... you got something in your teeth."  
  
Giles absent mindedly sticks the slime covered hand in his mouth. His says things best left to the imagination.  
  
"Well, not bad if I do say so myself. We should do this more often," comments Pryce.  
  
Xander comes running back. The demon body still stands up.  
  
"Trunk's popped, everyone assume their baggy positions," he hands out garbage bags.  
  
"Hey guys, check this out," Buffy uses the skeleton's jaw to form words, "say Bob, you think there are any Slayers in this graveyard?"  
  
"I knew you were lying," says Oz.  
  
"Everyone please hurry. We haven't much time," commands Giles.  
  
They pair off and take a demon.  
  
"Well, I saved the world again. Going to have to mark that on the calander when I get back. Can you help me?"  
  
"It's best if you stay here and wait for an emergency medical team to arrive. I don't know what exactly it is he pumped you full of, but we are ill-prepared to care for you in such a case," he looks up and hears the sirens approaching, "I'll see you in the hospital." He walks off.  
  
"Giles!" says Buffy. He turns around and she says, "Forgetting something?" she holds the skeleton.  
  
"Quite right. Now, take care. Xander! Willow! Hurry up! They're almost here!" he shouts.  
  
Buffy rests her head back. A small part of her heart felt hurt that Giles did not stay at her side. Not knowing that she wanted and expected him to be as a surrogate father at times.  
  
She could see the illuminated ring of color in the clouds from the moon. She looks back down and sees Kamen's lifeless body off in the distance. She felt assured of peace now. 


	9. Chapter 9 An Uneasy Afterwards

Willow walks into Buffy's hospital room early the next day in the afternoon. She's holding a helium balloon.  
  
"Hey Buffy."  
  
"Hey Will."  
  
"Happy to see me? I got you a get well soon balloon. It only floats to the ceiling, but it's the though they say that counts."  
  
"I am and thanks. Giles stopped by before school and Xander did too. Even Wesley."  
  
"Oz said he'll make it after school. Feeling any better?"  
  
"Tons. He shot me full of morphine, but the doctors says I should be out of here tomorrow. They also looked at me funny a lot. Though for some reason they keep only giving me Jell-O."  
  
"Well, I just thought I'd stop by and say hey and wish you well. I was able to get an early lunch, so I could come visit you. I only have ten minutes before I have to go. Be right back. Nature calls."  
  
Willow leaves the room. Buffy's eyes catch the muted news. She turns it up.  
  
"...and the victims were rushed to the hospital. Sunnydale resident Scott Hope, 19 was pronounced dead on arrival. Survivor Buffy Summers, 18, is recuperating at this hour at the Sunnydale Medical Center. Reached for comment Mayor Richard Wilkens the 3rd has this to say:  
  
"The tragic deaths of 13 people hang sorrowfully in the air, but we must move on. I am saddened by the events. I pray for the victims and my condolences go out to the families."  
  
The unidentified killer was found dead at the scene say police, along with Sunnydale Police Officer, Charles Kamen, who died in the line of duty. A mass memorial service is planned next week for the victims. We here at News Channel 7 wish to express our sorrow for the families.  
  
And in other news, local..."  
  
Buffy stares blankly at the screen.  
  
---FIN---  
  
This story is dedicated to Film & TV composer Michael Kamen, who passed on suddenly November 2003 of a heart attack in his London home. The character, "Charles Kamen" was named with him in mind. He scored such films as: "Last Of The Mohicans" "X-Men 1" and "Lethal Weapon" installments. Go to michaelkamen.com for more information.  
  
We morn his passing. 


End file.
